Power, Innocence, Moral Authority, and Hegemony

 It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the other ones. I think that is true of US hegemony. US hegemony can be awful, except for any other country’s hegemony. For example, withdrawing from the Kyoto Accords, which were attempting to address the climate crisis early, and torturing captives during the Global War on Terror are two examples of US blunders on the international stage. While US leadership isn’t perfect, it is preferable to any of the other countries. Many of the countries that might seek to supplant the US are even worse in many ways. It is imperative that the US act with its allies, to build consensus and address issues. Since the US is the most powerful country, it is necessarily the least innocent country. Since the US is the most powerful country on Earth, it is therefore strongly in the US interest to maintain its moral authority, and image of benevolence and gentleness.

            Domestic issues take away from the US moral authority. Mass incarceration, a result of the War on Drugs and closing of mental health facilities, and income inequality, in which the 0.1% own as much as the bottom 90% in the US, detract from the US system. However, the US has the rule of law and democracy on its side. While the US isn’t perfect, and a true love of country can admit its flaws, its self-correcting ability through elections, transparency, and accountability are strong.

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